There is something that we all have in common; we like to be aware of our surroundings. When something is out of place or just doesn’t seem right, it instantly sends up a signal that we can’t ignore. Sometimes, it turns out to be a false alarm but for the woman in this story, it turned out to be one of the best things that had ever happened to her.
It started late in the afternoon one day when a woman was out in her backyard. She started to hear tiny squeaking sounds coming from some nearby bushes and she instantly knew something was out of place. When she went over to investigate and started poking around, the tiniest kitten came out to greet her. Unfortunately, the kitten was in need of help because she was very sick.
The woman realized the danger that little kitten was in so she contacted a kitten fosterer in Los Angeles named Sandra Lee. She knew that the care this little kitten needed was more than she knew how to give. Lee had recently taken in another kitten but when she saw this picture, she knew that the little baby needed her special attention.
Lee estimated the kitten’s age at anywhere from 6 – 8 weeks, although the dehydrated, malnourished feline was difficult to judge. Even though she was that age in all ways, she was only 1 pound and so dehydrated, you could see every vertebra in her spine. On top of her dehydration, she was full of fleas and had a number of other medical problems.
Lee took the kitten in and once she had this little cutie in her home, she named her Livvie. It was apparent that the road to recovery was going to be a long one. The little kitten had to struggle to walk and had a neurological problem. In addition, she needed help pooping, which was a big problem of its own.
Lee didn’t know if Livvie would make it but she provided her with a clean, comfortable space. The first week was touch and go and Lee checked on this little kitten constantly.
When Livvie was able to travel, Lee took her to see the vet and things were rather difficult. Her lack of food and water had her system backed up and the toxins from that waste buildup in her system were causing the neurological problem. They had no idea if she would recover or if the problems would be long-term.
Livvie was at the vet most of her first 4 weeks in her new foster home. They worked hard but they didn’t know if she would recover. Medications were monitored by her foster mom carefully and her food and water intake were closely watched. Her dehydration made her meow sound somewhere like a goat! The road to recovery was a long one but after 4 months, Livvie was healed completely.
After overcoming her early problems, her personality was free to shine. She ended up being the goofiest cat with a personality so sweet that sugar wouldn’t melt in her mouth. At that point, a forever home was found but Livvie had her own ideas.
Livvie had a hard time adjusting to life in her new home. She would hide all day, only coming out to eat and play. Her mom tried to make friends with her, lying nearby or speaking quietly but there was a wall there that just wouldn’t come down. Lee decided that it was necessary to go over to help and when Livvie saw her, she perked up right away.
“I laid on the floor and just started to talk to her,” Lee said. “Livvie immediately let out a little meow and started wiggling her way out from under her hiding spot toward me. The nice lady said, ‘I think she wants to go home.’ Nearly 60 fosters in and out, and I knew we had ourselves our first official ‘foster fail.’”
Livvie’s new mom was nice but this cat was in love with the woman that saved her life.
Livvie is now back with her first family and as happy as a lark. She is a part of the family and is loving her second chance at life every day.
“Although we had special bonds with all our fosters, I think we knew Livvie was special,” Lee said. “We were always against foster fails as we are at capacity with our own resident animals, but Livvie clearly had other plans. As soon as we got home and I let her out of her carrier, she was completely her normal self. She knew she was home.”
H/T: The DoDo